Contents by
Section: April 1998
Front
Page
Lead Story
They're
talking on campus...
On the Road
ActionLine NEA
In the Know
From Capital to Campus
NEA
Affilitates in Action
Higher Education News
Money Savvy
The Dialogue
Thriving in Academe
Thriving in Academe
QUESTION: Is there an effective way to actively involve my students when attention declines in the middle of class sessions?
The simple cooperative learning structure known as "Think-Pair-Share" (T-P-S) is an excellent way to stimulate thought and energize student discussion about important course material.
A T-P-S exercise often focuses on information introduced in a pre-class reading assignment or an in-class mini-lecture, demonstration, videotape vignette, or other class presentation.
The instructor poses a thought-provoking question and encourages each student to think about the question and note a response in writing.
After a few minutes, students then share their responses with a partner. The process can end with the pairs discussing the written answers they've arrived at. Or, if the instructor prefers, each pair may discuss their answers with another pair in groups of four.
Finally, the instructor will call upon several pairs for sharing with the entire class.
Among its many instructional benefits, T-P-S can be used to energize students in very large classes. It also engages students in critical and creative thinking.
Even more important, this process allows all students to privately formulate their thoughts before sharing them with others.
Finally, T-P-S fosters positive and structured interaction among students about course content.
You can find out more in Interactive Learning in the Higher Education Classroom, an NEA Professional Library book edited by H. C. Foyle. See particularly articles in that volume by Millis, Lyman, and Davidson (pp. 204-225) and Foyle (pp. 226-233).
To order, call 800-229-4200.
---James Eison, director, Center for Teaching Enhancement, University of South Florida.
This NEA Higher Education Advocate column addresess the
instructional challenges that face faculty throughout higher ed. Have other
ideas on keeping students involved when attention fades in the middle of class?
You can contribute your insights to a new electronic NEA resource for college
and university faculty. Just send your comments, for posting on the NEA Web
page, to: jeison@helios.acomp.usf.edu
or mail to:
James Eison, Center for Teaching Enhancement, University of
South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Ave, SVC 1088, Tampa,FL 33620. Or Fax:
813-974-5620.
You can also post your insights on our "Thriving in Academe" discussion board.
